The Sindh government has announced new SOPs to control the rising cases of coronavirus.According to a notification issued by the home department, Karachi and Hyderabad have an over 10 percent positivity rate. Therefore, separate SOPs have been announced for these cities, as per the guidelines issue by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) Wednesday.
Weddings and other gatherings: Karachi and Hyderabad: There will be a complete ban on indoor gatherings while outdoor gatherings are permitted with only 300 guests. Only fully vaccinated people are allowed to attend weddings.Other cities: Indoor gatherings/weddings with 300 guests and outdoor with 500 guests are allowed.. These measures will come into force from January 24. Wedding hall managers have been asked to ensure SOP compliance and serve food in boxes.
Educational Institutes: Karachi and Hyderabad: Classes for students under 12 years will continue with 50 per cent attendance while classes for students over 12 years will continue as before. However, vaccination is mandatory for students over 12 years.
Other cities: Classes will continue as before with mandatory vaccination for students over 12 years.The government has also decided to speed up the vaccination of students over 12 years. They must receive at least one vaccination dose by February 1. No exceptions will be granted other than for valid medical reasons.The education and health departments have been asked to conduct aggressive testing in schools and close the ones with high percentage of cases. A threshold will be decided by the authorities for the number of cases after which the institution will be sealed.
Dining: Karachi and Hyderabad: Indoor dining will be banned from January 24, while outdoor dining will be open for fully vaccinated people only.Other cities: Both indoor and outdoor dining is allowed for fully vaccinated people.Transport: From January 20, public transport will operate at 70 per cent capacity for fully vaccinated people. Trains will operate at full capacity.Offices have been asked to ensure employees’ vaccination and encourage work from home.All business and commercial activities are allowed province-wide without any timing restrictions.
Gyms, cinemas, shrines, and amusement parks are allowed to operate at 50 per cent capacity for fully vaccinated people in Karachi and Hyderabad. In other cities, no capacity restrictions are enforced. However, only fully vaccinated people will be allowed.
A complete ban on karate, boxing, martial arts, rugby, water polo, kabaddi and wrestling is in place in Karachi and Hyderabad.
